Reducing the Risk (Nunavut Prototype)
- teaching youth workers and community leaders how to identify and mitigate substance use: online
The first of nine online interactive training modules, “Reducing the Risk (Nunavut Prototype)” will impart core addiction knowledge to youth workers and community leaders in the North as the first step in establishing effective addiction prevention programs.
“Reducing the Risk (Nunavut Prototype)” is part of a larger interactive multimedia online training course that will provide the education and training for prevention specialists that assist in community development . At the same time, it will administer adult learning in prevention to addiction counselors, guidance counsellors, parents, health care providers such as nurses or wellness workers and police officers who need to be able to identify and screen for signs and symptoms of drug abuse among young people.
The initial target group are those who are working with youth in the hamlet of Pangnirtung, Nunavut. However, since the course will eventually be available over the Internet, there is no reason why participants from across Nunavut and indeed, Canada will not be able to register and participate.
The overall goal of the “Reducing the Risk (Nunavut Prototype)” project is to improve the lives of youth suffering from the harms of experimenting with substance use. The goal includes training youth workers and community leaders who work with this vulnerable Northern community to identify and mitigate the misuse and abuse of substances including related crime.
The need for the project
Too many young people use illicit drugs or have an attitude where they believe illicit drugs are not dangerous or harmful. 30% of 15-17 year olds and just over 47% of 18-19 year olds reported having used cannabis in the past year. (2004 Canadian Addiction Survey) 60% of illicit drug users are 15 to 24 years old (CCSA: A Drug Prevention Strategy). Based upon incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, young adults aged 18 to 24 had the highest drug-related offense rate.... followed by youth aged 12 to 17 ("Trends in drug offenses and the role of alcohol and drugs in crime" Statistics Canada, Monday, February 23, 2004)
There is very little rigorous, best practice based, training for addictions counsellors in Canada. Yet the need continues to grow, especially in Canada’s North:
"Mental health and addictions have long been orphans in our health and human service systems, and substance abuse prevention and intervention services for young people receive a miniscule portion of the larger health and human service budget. This creates fragmentation of services and access difficulties, and prevents the development of a continuum of services and a range of programming." (Pg. 5 “Substance Abuse in Canada: Youth in Focus”, Canadian Centre On Substance Abuse, September 2007)
The Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation offers a prevention specialist credential (the Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist, ICPC). Education and training for this credential is difficult to obtain. This online course will be part of certification requirements and support graduates from any addiction counseling program in Canada.
Outcomes
- Enhanced knowledge within communities of the harms cause by substance abuse.
- Enhanced acceptance and commitment of youth leaders and professionals working with youth to provide effective education and intervention strategies in their community.
- Enhanced capacity of addiction prevention specialists and other health/social service workers to assess the problem conduct the appropriate intervention in individual cases.
Project Advisory Committee
In order to ensure that the goals and objectives of the “Reducing the Risk” project are achieved, a Project Advisory Committee (PAC) will be formed to review the training methodology and content of modules, monitor the progress of the project and assist with project and course evaluations. The PAC will represent a broad range of expertise and will include youth and their parents, high school counsellors, police officers and allied youth workers. The current members of the Project Advisory Committee include:
Barb Robinson, President, CACCF
Paul Laurie, Director of Operations, Prodigal Community Services
Edi Kaus, Regional Counsellor, Reaching Out Program, Peel District School Board
Dennis Long, Executive Director, Breakaway
P.C. Jan Barr, Toronto Police Services
Project Partners
The partners in the “Reducing the Risk” project are the Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation (CACCF); Triune Arts Strategists (Triune Arts), a non-profit charity and leader in educational media production and distribution; Prodigal Community Services, mental health and addiction professionals providing education and clinical services to communities, individuals and corporations. and InterActive Arts, Inc.(IAAI), a leader in instructional design, web development and internet presence. The CACCF and its network will provide subject matter expertise, Prodigal Community Services will coordinate and conduct the workshop seminar and provide subject matter expertise, InterActive Arts will provide instructional design and web development expertise and Triune Arts will provide creative direction, media production and project management.
Triune has experience working with First Nations Youth in the production of media dealing with important social issues. The clip below, produced with the cooperation of De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Group of Wikwemikong, Manitoulin Island, is from an anti-bullying resource currently in development:
Assertiveness training and peer support is an important part of a multi-faceted approach to bullying. Adopting whole school policies that change the classroom/schoolyard climate are also recommended.